Operating mechanism for double sliding doors



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OPERATING MEGHANISM FOB, DOUBLE SLIDING DOORS. No. 574,747. Patented Jan. 5, 1897.

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C. METTERHAUSE'N 8u W. B. JOHNSON. a* QPERATING MBGHANISM POR DOUBLEV SLIDING DOORS.'

No. 574,747. Patented Jan. 5, 1897.

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UNITED STATES ATENT Prion.

CARL MTTERHAUSEN AND VILLIAM B. JOHNSON, OF 1V ILMINGTON, DELAVARE.

OPERATING IVIECHANISVI FOR DOUBLE SLIDiNG DOORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,747, dated January 5, 1897.

Application filed September 29, 1896. Serial No. 607,357. (No mode-lf.`

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, CARL METTERHAUSEN and WILLIAM B. JOHNSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Wilmington, in the county of New Castle and State of Delaware, have invented new and useful Improvements in Operating Mechanism for Double Sliding Doors, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to operating mechanism for double sliding doors where it is desired to provide for opening or closing two sliding doors simultaneously when the necessary force is applied to either door; and the object of our invention is to avoid the trouble and delay of opening or closing the doors separately and to furnish simple and effective mechanism for operating both at once.

The invention consists in features of construction and novel combinations of parts in an operating mechanism for double or companion sliding doors, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating the invent-ion, Figure 1 shows the upper portions of alpair of sliding doors in front elevation with our improved mechanism for operating said doors simultaneously. Fig. 2 is a Vertical cross-sectional view on the line 2 2'of Fig. 1, showing the upper and lower racks and their connecting gear-wheel. Fig. 3 is avertical cross-section on the line 3 3, Fig. l, of the door-hanger which is connected with the upper rack, together with its sheave-wheel and track and the upper and lower racks and guides. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section on the line 4 4, Fig. 1, of the. door-hanger which is attached to the lower rack, together with its sheave-wheel and the track and dovetail-groove guide for the upper rack. Fig. 5 shows a cross-section of the track or rail from which the sliding doors are suspend ed and an elevation of the double sheave-wheels (upper and lower)`and the hanger forsaid wheels, whereby the outermost end of each door is supported to prevent tilting of the doors when open to their full extent. Fig. 6 is a view in vertical cross-section of one of the end plates for supporting the doortrack and the upper and lower guides.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the numerals 1 and 2 represent in closed position a pair of sliding doors arranged to operate in the same plane. To each of these doors, at the top and near their meeting edges, are secured hangers 3 and 4, respectively, in which are mounted peripherally grooved sheave wheels or rollers 5, adapted to run on an overhead track 6, from which the two sliding doors are suspended. It is preferable to provide the ends of this track with extensions 7, which, together with the main portion G of said track, may be formed on and supported by plates or brackets S, or the main track and its end extensions .may be supported independently.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the ends of the track 6 may be secured to and supported by plates 9, secured to any suitable support adjacent to the upper port-ion of the doorway.

The suspension of the sliding doors 1 and 2 is completed, preferably, by means of double sheave-wheels 10, upper and lower, mounted in brackets or hangers 11, that are secured to the outer ends of the doors, so that whenthe doors are opened to their full extent, or very nearly so, they will have such support at their outer or rear endsas will preclude any liability to tilting of the doors.

To the hanger 3 on the door 1, for instance, is secured one end of a lower horizontallymovable rack 12, that operates in a guideway 13, formed in the top of that portion of the track 6 which is above the sliding door 2, as shown in Fig. 1. The hanger 4 on the door 2 is provided with an upward extension 15, connected with one end of an upper horizontallymovable rack 16, which operates in a dovetail guideway 17 in the under side of a guiderail 1S, secured to and supported by the plates 9, which also connect with the track 6, from which the sliding doors 1 and 2 are suspended. It will be observed that the lower rack 12 is connected with the hanger 3 of one sliding door and that the upper rack 16A is connected with the arm 15 on the hanger 4 of the other door. companion door of the'one to which it is attached.

About midway their length the door-track G and the guide-rail 18 are connected by a Thus each rack operates above thev IGO frame 19, Figs. l and 9, in which is journaled at 2O a gear-wheel 2l, which meshes with the lower rack l2 on one hand and with the upper rack 1G on the other hand.

It will be obvious that in opening or closing either sliding door l or 2 the rack connected therewith will rotate the gear-wheel 2l, which in turn will move the other rack, upper or lower, as the case may be, and thus cause a simultaneous operation of the other door, the two doors being consequently opened or closed together by force applied to either one.

This door-operating mechanism is applica ble to the sliding doors of railways and generally wherever it is desired to provide for the simultaneous opening and closing of both members in a pair of sliding doors. In its construction and operation the mechanism is simple and effective, imparting a positive and simultaneous movement to both doors, and it is not liable to get disarranged or become in any way ineffective.

It will be observed that the peripherallygrooved sheave-wheels 5 are arranged to straddle the lower rack 12, so as to have free running Contact with the track (5 without interfering with or binding on said lower rack. The supplemental or double sheave-wheels l0 are also circumferentially grooved for better engagement with the track extensions.

By supporting the sliding doors from above and operating them simultaneously through the racks and gear-wheel, as described, a positive and smooth-running movement of both doors is readily secured.

The continuous and deeply-grooved guideways 13 and 17, in which the racks l2 and 16 are respectively caused to move, will prevent any strain on the racks, and thereby assist largely in securinga smooth and even operation of the doors.

The arrangement of double sheave-wheels l0 will not only prevent a tilting downward of the doors when opened to their full extent or nearly so, but also, by reason of the lower wheel in each pair, the doors are held from an upward or jumping movement when sudden force is applied in opening the doors.

That we claim as our invention isl. In mechanism for the simultaneous operation of double sliding doors, the combination with two doors arranged to operate in the same plane, of an overhead track having a grooved guideway in its upper side, a hanger secured to the upper part of each door, sheaves door-hanger and operating in the guide-Y groove of said upper guide-rail, and a gearwheel journaled intermediate the upper and lower racks to transmit motion from either one to the other, to open and close the doors simultaneously, substantially as described.

2. In mechanism for the simultaneous operation of double sliding doors, the combination with a track-rail, and the two doors arranged to slide in the same plane and connected by rack-and-wheel gearing to operate reciprocally, of the double sheaves mounted on brackets secured to the outer ends of the doors, and track extensions with which said double sheaves are engaged, one above and one below, to prevent tilting of the opened doors, substantially as described.

3. In mechanism forV the simultaneous operation of double sliding doors, the combination with the two doors, arranged to slide in the same plane, an overhead track having a longitudinal guide-groove in its top, and an upper guide-rail provided in its lower side with a longitudinal dovetail groove, of the hangers secured to the upper part of each door, a lower rack secu red to the hanger of one door and operating in the guideway of the doortrack, an upper rack rigidly secured to the hanger of the other door and operating in the guideway 01". the upper guide-rail, a gear wheel located intermediate said racks and meshing with both, peripherally grooved sheave-wheels mounted in the door-hangers to run on the overhead track-rail and adapted to straddle the lower rack, track extensions at the outer ends of the doors, and double sheave-wheels mounted on the outer ends of the doors to operate on said track extensions,

above and below the same, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL METTERIIAUSEN. lVILLIAM B. JOHNSON.

ll'itnesses:

WM. E. IIAwKINs, CHARLES II. Scofrr.

IOO 

